5 reasons why your family should own a Westfalia

1. They’re AWESOME!

It has to be said, even though it’s obvious! They just are. They’re cool, they’re practical and they’re fun. Invariably, wherever we go, people will come by and tell me how much they wished they’d kept the one they used to have, back when, back when they were cool, back in that time before kids…but I always say to them “Go get another then! The kids will LOVE you for it!”

2. It makes you Get Out There. And more often.

Camping was something my husband and I both grew up enjoying and it was something we definitely wanted to share with our kids, so off we went and bought a big family tent and enlarged our camping kit accordingly. Only now, it wasn’t so easy to just to pack up and head out. Besides the amount of prep and organisation now needed to get away, even for a night camping, the kids loved camping so much that taking a chance on getting into a site without a reservation wasn’t an option – the devastation was too terrible to behold! It was too easy to put it off – a bad weather forecast or a busy week, and we’d forego the reservation we’d made all too easily. The Westfalia however is all packed up and ready to go, anytime. All I need to pack now is clothes and food. I even leave things like raincoats, boots and extra fleeces in Florence all season long so it’s even less to pack. It means that we can be ready to leave in a very short space of time and if rains, we’re OK. We have somewhere warm and dry to sleep or play games, with an awning to cover us so that we can cook without getting soaked and if it’s still raining when it’s time to pack up (and yes, unfortunately that happens!) No big deal – everything is pretty much inside and ready to go. No excuses. We make reservations for almost every weekend in the summer and off we go.

3. It’s no bigger than a minivan so it can be your second car

Despite longing for a Westfalia for many years, my husband just couldn’t justify it until we finally admitted that we now needed a second car. Two kids and working in two different cities we needed the flexibility and suddenly the Westfalia was on the table. They’re not amazing on gas or anything but if you need an excuse or justification, they’re no bigger than a minivan so easy to park, fits into all parking lots and carries 4 people plus whatever else you need to carry AND they have the added benefit of being a recreational vehicle (and a really COOL one at that!)

4. Makes even local days out feel like you’re on vacation

Wherever you go in a Westfalia, it feels like an adventure. As if, perhaps, you could just keep driving and find yourself in California. It has a road trip vibe, like it wants to take you there. Even a Fall day out somewhere local becomes a mini vacation in a Westfalia. Pack a picnic or better yet, the barbecue, throw some beers in the cooler and make a whole day of it. Find somewhere to park that has a great view and after a good hike with the kids or a bike ride, settle down to enjoy being outside, or even inside, if it’s raining! Many a day we’ve sat inside while a chilly wind blew but we’ve had the pounding surf to watch or the mountains or forest to admire. It’s like tail gating on a whole new level!

5. It embodies the concept that it’s the journey that counts, not the destination

You’ll find yourself wanting to plan epic camping trips, fun days out off the beaten path and road trip adventures that go above and beyond the usual summer planning checklist and the best thing is that they’re all things that you’ll want to experience together, as a family. To my kids, Florence is like a magic portal. . They want to go everywhere in Florence because going anywhere in a Westfalia is fun no matter what the destination is. We plan things to do just so that we can go in Florence. We’re together, we’ve got a cool ride that we can cook and sleep in, we’ve got all we need; Who cares where we’re going, as long as we’re going together!

Prepare for the worst – 1st aid kit essentials when Camping with Kids

It’s happened before and I’m quite sure it will happen again…that little voice in the dark “Mama…my tummy hurts” What started out as a long weekend of camping fun has suddenly become a situation. 

Kids are so busy and robust that when they get sick it seems to come out of nowhere. One minute they’re happily playing and the next their tummy hurts, to be followed, very shortly after, by violent vomiting and leaving you wishing you’d booked a campground that had flush toilets.

I actually pack what we fondly refer to as ‘Barf Bags’ because being caught out is no fun, let me tell you! Barf Bags are basically brown paper ‘lunch bags’ that you can buy at any supermarket or dollar store lined with plastic bags. Open the brown bag and stick a plastic bag inside (the ones you get in the grocery for fruit and veg work well) then fold in back up. The brown bag gives the plastic bag some structure – helping it to stay open and making it easier to dispose of. These can be stashed in the car or camper and are great for travel sickness as well as gastro intestinal situations!  

So, without further pleasantries, here’s my Camping with Kids 1st aid kit list and camping motto to go along with it – Prepare for the worst, Hope for the Best!

1. Gravol (Adult and kid versions of an anti nausea medicine – because you can bet that if one family member gets it, the others are going down in rapid succession!)

2. Immodium / Pepto Bismol (Adult and kid versions of a diarrhea stopper!)

3. Advil (Adult and Junior versions of an ibuprofen – anti inflammatory which is good for muscles and also good for fever control)

4. Thermometer (digital – this takes all the guess work out)

5. Antibiotic Eye Drops (Eye infections are easy to pick up and spread quickly – young kids with colds are especially susceptible to these as they ave a tendency to rub snot in their eyes! True unfortunately!)

6. Antihistamine (Adult and Junior versions – you never know when or where your young adventurers are going to discover allergies, or poison ivy!

7. Band aids (a good supply of sizes is essential)

8. Tweezers (splinters can be painful if not taken care of quickly)

9. Antiseptic Ointment (Useful for treating cuts and scrapes)

10. Anti Itch lotion / cream (Calamine is the best but you can also use after bite cream too – both of these will work on poison ivy, stinging nettles and bug bites)

I would also recommend buying a travel sized first aid kit

which will deal with cuts and bleeding tip accidents. Throw this in your backpack when you go out on any day adventure and have it with you when you’re camping too.

My husband, a nurse, always makes sure we have a bottle or vials of distilled water in the camper because cleaning wounds at the campground isn’t as straightforward as it sounds but a clean wound will heal whereas a dirty one won’t. 

PLEASE NOTE: Using hand sanitizer when camping is a really good habit to get everyone into – especially if you are staying at a more rustic campground! Always make sure that you have adequate travel insurance and if your are in any doubt about your kid’s health, head home!

So as my motto goes – Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. If you have a good kit with you when you go camping you’ll know that when that voice comes out of the darkness “Mama…” you are ready to deal with it!

Camping in Kamloops – Paul Lake Review

Swimming in Paul Lake is a perfect way to spend a day!

Arriving in Kamloops, you’d be forgiven for thinking that camping here was going to be an arid affair but think again…

Paul Lake Provincial Park is located about 25 kms North of Kamloops and once you get off the highway, it’s rather a nice drive that makes you feel cowboys and wild horses would be appropriate! Ranches and fields of wild sage make up the scenery – we passed a rugged, wild mountain sheep who couldn’t quite decide whether to charge us or not – but once you take the turn into the Park it suddenly all becomes lush forest!

The sites are all pretty enormous and well spaced – we stayed at #72 which was particularly big, backing into the forest so quite private as well. The sites near the adventure playground are probably best for parents as it’s quite a large campground with steep hilly roads and if they’re going to want to play there, you’ll want to be closer! It’s not a good site for biking, thanks to the hilly roads, although it is large enough to keep energetic, older kids happy.

Paul Lake itself is beautiful, with wide grassy banks, plenty of picnic tables and a nice washroom facility – my girls loved swimming in the roped off area and the sandy beach was perfect for sandcastle building. Point to note however, is that the beach is not easy to get to. There is a trail leading down to it, but it’s a hike and has some steep sections – not ideal when you’re carrying lunch, inflatable toys, towels and sandcastle building paraphernalia! The road that leads down to the day use area is steep and winding – not ideal for biking with smaller kids and all of the aforementioned ‘baggage’ – so a vehicle is needed. If you are in a camper, like us, this can be quite disruptive as you have to literally pack up just to drive somewhere, however we did that to make the beach day more fun!

Paul Lake Beach is a gem!

The pit toilets within the campground are some of the worst I’ve ever seen and if it hadn’t been for a local who had come armed with fly killer spray, extra toilet roll and air freshener, I’m not sure that even I could have put up with it for longer than 2 nights – so go prepared and pre-warned!

To me, Paul Lake, as far as the campground goes, lacked character. I had actually read this comment in my Jayne Seagrove Bible ‘Camping British Columbia’ but unlike Jayne, I feel that it comes not from any kind of ‘clinical’ regimentation but rather a lack of it. The lake and day use area is beautiful but the campground has a dramatically different feel which is a bit too much like ‘Twilight‘ for me! The forest setting is a little oppressive to my mind and you feel almost too isolated, thanks to the large, well spaced sites and hilly roads (and I like privacy!). However, it’s a good stopover on the way up to either Clearwater or Jasper, or further into the BC interior, given it’s easy proximity to major highways but I think there are better, friendlier options around if you are looking for a family vacation spot! (Herald on the Shuswap for example)

Wildlife on the way into the park

Camping Goddess Pancake Recipe

It’s early morning at the campground…the sun is filtering through the trees…you whip up some deliciously fluffy pancakes, from scratch. Crack open a bottle of maple syrup, throw on some blueberries and Voila! You Are a Camping Goddess!

Recipe: (Feeds 4 – approx 12 x 4″ fluffy pancakes)

At home:

Measure out the following dry ingredients into a sandwich size zip lock bag:

• 1 1/2 Cups Flour (I use unbleached, enriched white flour)
• 1 tbsp Sugar (this is entirely optional though)
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• Pinch of salt

The dry mix will keep perfectly until you’re ready to use it (For a week trip, I take a couple of half portions in a medium freezer zip lock bag)

At your camp site:

Put dry ingredients into a bowl (I use a stainless steel one that also serves as a salad bowl, chip bowl etc but I’ve also used one of those take-along plastic containers and also a saucepan!) then add the wet:

• 2 large eggs (I fully recommend buying one of these yellow plastic egg containers for your cooler – it prevents breakages and you can buy them either at your local camping supplies store or dollar store in the summer months)
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1/4 cup of oil (I use canola but you can also use Olive or vegetable – depends on taste and what you have to hand)
• note: You can always pre-measure the milk, oil and eggs at home and put them in a leakproof container so that you don’t have to measure them while camping. Mixing the whole thing together at home works as well but it needs a good shake when you’re ready to cook it. I have found that it’s easier to leave it dry until ready to eat simply because of the space it saves in the cooler and over a multi night trip.

Mix up the batter until all the flour is incorporated, don’t beat it (it turns the starch gloupy apparently)

Heat your pan and pour out your pancakes into whatever sizes you like – flip ’em and serve ’em (preferably with maple syrup but my kids also like nutella! I love mine with heated up blueberries – bit of a camping luxury there but if you’ve got them, just heat them up in a small pan until the juice starts to bubble – take them off the heat – cook your pancakes and spoon on the purple goodness! Delicious!

Do you deserve your socks? Why ‘Darn Tough’ is a badge of honour

Darn Tough socks…it’s a brand that I was first introduced to in 2004.At the time the brand was new, just beginning to find its feet in the large and competitive outdoor market. Ric Cabot, owner of a third generation hosiery mill in Northfield Vermont was trying to save his family business – the private label sock business that had sustained them in the past (Cabot made socks for brands like Gap and Banana Republic) was starting to be outsourced to overseas mills where labour was cheap. Not wanting to see his mill close and families of workers lose their jobs, he bet their knitting skills against a new market where quality was valued and came at a premium price. It paid off. Today Darn Tough is #2 in the premium merino wool sock market.

Darn Tough is still made in Vermont and offers such a high quality product that every pair of socks comes with an unconditional lifetime guarantee.

Unconditional.

No strings…no, really.

No competition in my mind.

As the name suggests, these socks are tough… but wearing them, reminds me that I’m tough too.

1. Tab No Show Light Cushion

1. (Tab No Show Light Cushion ) They carry me on the 5.30am run I make myself do 3 times a week before getting the kids ready for school and myself out the door to work. It’s not easy getting up at that time but I do it regardless. 3 times a week. My feet have never complained; rain, snow or sun, they carry me back home in comfort and I thank my socks for that.

2. 1/4 Sock Cushion

2. (1/4 Sock Cushion) Hiking in the Lake District, tramping through the countryside and shopping the high streets of London – these babies have carried me around the UK a couple of times now. They slip into whatever boots I’m wearing – hiking or moto inspired – providing all day cushion and comfort for my feet, plus minimal need for washing (a travel bonus), wherever I’m demanding they take me next.

3. Micro Crew Cushion

3. (Micro Crew Cushion – Coolmax) Camping with kids takes a certain level of patience and perseverance but it’s always worth it and in these socks I have one less thing to worry about. Summer after summer, rainy mornings, cold evenings, hot day hikes or unexpected lake wading, I know that in Darn Tough, my feet are going to feel comfortable and still look human at the end of the day (those prune toes that other socks manage to produce are so yesterday). I can take whatever comes my way with a smile on my face…well, I’m one step closer to it anyway!

4. Boot Sock Full Cushion

4. (Boot Sock full cushion) Back in 2004, I had my first baby and I took her snowshoeing with me. Up and down the local mountains we would go and when my second baby came along, I did the same thing with her. Getting into the Outdoors has always been important to me but carrying the extra weight of a child strapped to my body was not always easy. These socks (the same pair for all those years) remind me that I didn’t let that stop me. On all those trips I never once got a blister or had to stop and negotiate bending down to pull my socks up. I put them on, laced up my boots and I was off, enjoying the chance to exercise in the snow.

OK, maybe I don’t get medals or a certificate for my efforts, but every time I pull these socks on, I feel that what I do, and have done, deserves that lifetime guarantee. And so, maybe it’s the socks themselves that are my recognition. My badge of honour.

Darn Tough…it’s right there on the toe and it just so happens to say it all.

Darn Tough…says it all

Otter Lake – Old Fashioned Camping in Tulameen, BC

BC Parks says, “If you’re looking for privacy in a natural setting, Otter Lake is ideal for old-fashioned camping” Old fashioned? What does that mean? asked I…

The answer is, I’m not entirely sure except maybe to say that if you’re looking for a campsite where you won’t see a Park ranger until it’s firewood selling time then Otter Lake it perfect for you! It feels as if you are being allowed to camp in the forest and there just happens to be some places marked out for you – like a wilderness site with paved roads! I say that because it doesn’t feel like a Provincial Park. You turn off the road, right into the campground and it doesn’t feel remotely regimented, patrolled or watched over. There is a ranger who comes round in the evening to check that everyone has paid but other than that you feel decidedly left alone. It’s not a particularly large site but it has flush toilets, lake access, a boat launch, a nature trail and a pretty cool mountain bike jump area in the woods so it’s not as if it’s backcountry or anything, but it doesn’t feel as if it’s trying to entertain or educate you in anyway like some of the bigger parks do – it’s just ‘camping’.

Our site – #33 – was pretty large, level and had a little trail that went down to the lake which was cool and made swimming easy for the kids (too cold for me though!) Despite these pluses, it wasn’t very private and we could see (and hear) all of our neighbours most of the time. Thankfully, the rainy weather conditions put most groups to bed early so it wasn’t too much of a problem as it turned out!

Tulameen, once known to the Hudson’s Bay Company as campement des femmes (women’s camp – the First Nations men would go off hunting, leaving the women at this lakeside camp) is now ATV country. Once a mining community, the tiny town has an ‘out in the sticks’ feel to it and every house has either an ATV, quad bike or ski doo parked outside (in some cases – all 3!) and I think you need them! The remote town of Tulameen is about 33km north of Princeton on a precariously winding road (the kind I wouldn’t want to drive in the winter!) so stock up in Princeton before you head out to Otter Lake because once there, you won’t want to  nip out to ‘run errands’ even if there was somewhere to go! This is the kind of community that lives out on the edge, out of choice.

The old Kettle Valley Steam Railway line runs along the opposite shore of Otter lake (this section is disused now) which is great for ATVs and mountain biking (we didn’t go because the weather wasn’t awesome and the trail starts 5km, a steep and winding 5km at that, from the campground which means packing the camper up and driving just to get there, because there’s not much room for bikes on that road with all the pick ups taking it at full speed!

The Lake itself is great for fishing, apparently, and we saw lots of families out on their boats, rods in hands. Although not a huge lake, it’s big enough to feel like one, as opposed to a large pond which would better describe some lakes I’ve seen (Alice Lake being one of them!) and surrounded as it is by the local greyish rock, it feels like you’re perched on it’s banks, exposed to the water. It’s not a picturesque lake, like the Okanagan, but it has a certain historic charm and you can almost imagine the old steam trains thundering by the industrious mining town as it once was.

Word of caution should be applied here. Otter Lake is in the mountains so despite hot sun in the day it cooled down by quite a few degrees the moment the sun disappeared, feeling quite chill in the evening and early morning, so pack warmly!

Otter Lake is very out of the way and I feel that I wouldn’t drive the 3 1/2 hours from Vancouver just to visit it again but if you’re coming back from the Okanagan, as we were, it’s a good place to stop en route and experience some “old fashioned camping”!

4 Basic Camping supplies that will make your life easier

Having worked in the outdoor industry for many years, I’ve naturally acquired a few camping gadget gems but there are other, far more basic items, that are just as important in making my life easier when camping! Here’s a quick list of 4 easy to get-your-hands-on supplies that you’ll always be glad you have!

1.    Stainless Steel cooler

We put getting one of these off for years…kicking ourselves now of course! They might cost more than the regular plastic ones you see at the big box stores, but when you get one you’ll quickly realise that it was money well spent (precisely when you’re still drinking ice cold beer on day 3 of your summer camping trip!)  I recommend buying a block of ice (they cost the same as the cubes and are usually kept in the same place at the store) as it says frozen longer and however high the temperature outside soars ( we were just away for a week in 30c weather) you’ll still have ice in there after 3 days (albeit a lesser block!) The explanation is really simple – stainless steel reflects more of the heat and keeps the cold in. Thanks to the locking mechanism on the lid, it stays well sealed and keeps your food, and beer, nice and chilled! (also acts as a step / seat / table thanks to it’s level and sturdy base!)

Cooler handily located by the door which makes it a useful perch for the kids!

 

2.    Baby Wipes

It’s a known fact that baby wipes remove 99% of all dirt (the fact that this is slightly worrying, does not deter me from vigorously scrubbing away with one at anything I think might stain – children’s faces included) They are usually on sale, come in nice,soft collapsible containers and are extremely handy when camping and access to water is not usually immediate.

3.    Sharp Knives and a good set of utensils

Having spent a frustrating weekend in a cottage with a knife that couldn’t pierce a tomato, I now take a sharp knife on every vacation I go on! For camping I take 2 kinds: A Bread Knife (you can use this baby for anything really – it’s effectively a long, hefty knife at the end of the day) A Paring Knife (wicked sharp, this thing should be able to pierce and slice it’s way through anything you put in it’s path)

Super useful is a set of folding utensils – I have the MSR / Cascade Designs set and I love them! I’ve had mine for at least 11 years and they’re still going strong – the new version looks slightly different but they function the same: Spoon (also a ladle), spatula and strainer. Easy to clean and the fact that they fold makes them easier to store with your other camping supplies

Also in this category should be mentioned…a bottle opener (vital when you realise that the bottle of wine you bought isn’t a screwtop after all and that craft beer…well, it’s not a twisty!) can opener, and tongs (essential for barbeques, salad serving and everything in between!

Cascade Designs Utensil set

 

4.    Headlamp

A good flashlight is obvious, but personally I don’t like the big LED lamps that are popular – they’re too bright and detract from the fire, plus you have to lug them around, leaving someone in the dark. I usually put a small lantern outside the camper – just so that I can find my toothbrush! – but other than that, I use a headlamp. You can get some really fancy (and, to be honest, rather geeky) looking ones but I’ve had a Petzl Tikka for about 12 years now and it’s a great little camping light. Once on your head you can walk around the campground doing all the things you normally need to do before going to bed (!) and see exactly what you’re doing without everyone else seeing you or fooling the wildlife into thinking it’s daytime

.

There are a list of things that should go with you if you’re in a tent and a list for westies and undoubtedly, a list for RVs… Making a list and providing you keep it somewhere you won’t forget, is a very useful and terribly organised thing to do. Having forgotten pillows before and actually, the cooler once (that was actually my husband but, who’s counting..?!) I find that having a list saves you from those “AAAAGH!” moments and will assuredly make your life easier!

More smiling, less “AAAGH!” when you get some decent supplies organised!

 

4 reasons to love camping at Fintry Provincial Park

Fintry Provincial Park is a fabulous place to get away from it all and here are 4 reasons why you’ll love camping there!

1. It used to belong to an eccentric Scottish Laird possessed of great taste!

The house, now a wonderfully odd little museum, lends gracious charm to the campground. Open for the public, the house, it’s lush garden and substantial grounds are fun for the kids and adults alike to explore while staying at the site! (My girls loved seeing the late laird’s many hunting trophies that are on display in the house, including, rather surprisingly, a kodiak bear!) The house has a labyrinth (a replica of one at Chatres, France, and deceptively, lots of fun for the kids!) and what can only be described as a bat village! Bat boxes are everywhere and so are the bats at dusk! (they’re harmless and easily mistaken for small swallows)

The laird was quite the visionary and you can hike up to see the waterfalls that he harnessed into a power generator as well a great view of the Okanagan valley – a nice, easy walk from the campground but be prepared for some stair climbing when you get there! 

In the laird’s footsteps, you can meander down the beautiful paths in the evening that surround the house and imagine that you are in Italy or Greece – the soft breezes blowing through sweet smelling pines, sand underfoot, tantalizing glimpses of the lake and the vineyards on the opposite shore between the trees, cicadas chirping….breathe in, ah, deep sigh…glass of valpolicella…

2. Large sites in a variety of settings, all with great views

Whether you’re in the meadows (where we were camped this time) or overlooking the lake (where the playground and camp host are located) you really can’t go wrong. All the sites are open to the sky but some have trees that provide shade during the heat of the day (it can get pretty hot here in the summer – temperatures in the low 30s are normal) however there always seems to be a breeze blowing off the lake and evenings were comfortable.

We stayed at site #72 which I will definitely try and reserve another time – it was enormous, well spaced from neighbours, shade giving trees kept the camper cool in the day, had a fantastic view of the large meadow and dairy barns and only minutes from the lake.

3. Kid approved

Aside from the flush toilets (which, much to the delight of my girls, look like pit toilets – but they’re NOT!!) sinks and large, clean showers there are lots of flat, asphalt roads going around the whole campground which provides great entertainment for the kids. There’s a playground, a 400m beach with roped off areas for swimming, a dock for fishing off and as previously mentioned, a labyrinth, bats and a crazy odd house filled with stuffed animals!

 

4. The fabulous Okanagan Lake 

Famous for it’s clear waters, the Okanagan Lake is perfect for swimming in, but it’s also extremely picturesque. Flanked on both shores with vineyards, fruit orchards, tall pines and sage grass, the lake is 135km long and around 5km wide. Fintry, is located on a small spit of land and the view is quite different from one side of the campground to the other. (You can also enjoy the sun all day long depending on which stretch of beach you choose!) A number of trails lead down to the beach from the campsite, providing easy ‘come and go’ access to swimming and sunbathing – one tip: don’t forget to take inflatable chairs and mattresses with you – Fintry is blissfully secluded (the busy town of Kelowna is a 35 minute drive away) but that means no stores selling tourist paraphenalia (including lake toys!) 

Fintry is a truly delightful place to camp if you like to get away from it all and do nothing but pretend that you’re in Italy for a few days (like me!) It’s close enough to the big box stores and chain restaurants of Kelowna if you fancy a change of pace or just need to pick up some supplies (Ice and firewood are sold at the campground) The perfect lakeside getaway for kids and adults, you could easily stay here for 5 nights, Fintry is a secret that you’ll be tempted to keep to yourself!